The Coatrack

Down the hall, on holidays,

A coatrack would appear,

Which meant that for some company

Those tenants were in gear.

 

Some folding chairs and tables

Also waited by the door

So when visitors arrived, there would

Be room for many more.

 

As years went by, they didn’t seem

To need those extra seats.

Perhaps they traveled elsewhere

To some kith and kin retreats.

 

But then I heard sad news –

The man in 9F passed away.

For Shiva* calls, a coatrack

Was back in the hall today.

 

We gather for events of joy

Though time will take its toll

And likely someday guests will

Come together to console.

 

*A Jewish ritual of condolence

Urgent Care

Urgent care is where you go

When you’re a little scared

That what you feel might be a thing

For which you’re unprepared.

 

You’d rather not spend hours in

A hospital’s E.R.,

But staying home is stressful

When you’re not quite up to par.

 

So urgent care is something

That is somehow in-between,

For hopefully, by someone trained

You’ll actually be seen.

 

They’ll check you out and send you home

With meds and some advice

To see your doc (or not –

It’s up to you to roll the dice).

 

Before these places did exist,

The hospital was where

Most people went when they believed

They needed urgent care.

 

But nowadays it makes more sense,

Unless you cannot breathe,

To stay out of a hospital,

Where waits may make you seethe.

Right Here

The garbage barge is floating large,

A tugboat smoothly towing.

The seagulls swoop, a noisy group,

To follow where it’s going.

 

I sit and stare, quite unaware

Of who might pass behind me,

But those who know where I might go

Would very quickly find me.

 

Unless it’s wet or winter’s net

Has trapped me and it’s freezing,

I’ll be right here, the river near,

To all my senses pleasing.

Watching

Two years ago today we watched

The Capitol attacked,

In disbelief at all the sense

Our leader surely lacked.

In shock and horror we were glued

To any screen in sight,

As protests turned to violence

From those just thrilled to fight.

Today we watch the circus 

As the House attempts to vote,

Our government still stymied

By some mulishness of note.

A strong conviction’s often worth 

A fight, to some extent,

But once we knew lines not to cross,

Which now some circumvent.

Speaker of the House

It sounds like junior high school,

The vote that will not end,

With people making speeches,

K. McCarthy to defend.

 

The government’s on hold

For no decisions can be made

Until a leader’s chosen,

But the pols are all afraid.

 

Concessions have been offered,

Some of this and some of that.

The easiest solution is –

Elect a Democrat!

Yellow Bird

A man took his bird in a cage for a walk;

It looked at the river and started to squawk.

With bright yellow feathers, it didn’t belong

In a prison, rewarded with seed for a song.

I grew up with a parakeet kept as a pet,

Which flew all ‘round the house ‘til the sun was to set,

Then returned to its cage, which was covered at night,

So it slept on its perch with no way to take flight.

In the summer, when somebody opened the door,

Our bird flew away and we saw it no more.

I would bet if that yellow bird just had the chance,

It would make its escape with not one backward glance.

Moving Forward

School and work resumed today,

The holidays complete,

So now we’re moving forward,

Hoping slips we won’t repeat.

 

Of course, there will be blunders

And perhaps a huge snafu,

But the ways we botch and bungle

Should at least be fresh and new.

 

If we’re fortunate, then maybe

We can laugh at our mistakes

And accept that there are times when

We just can’t catch any breaks.

 

So far things are going smoothly;

Well, at least they are for me,

Thought there’s lots of time ahead

To mess up 2023.